


A Professor and her Synth

by Pacha_Mama



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2019-06-26 23:31:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15673491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pacha_Mama/pseuds/Pacha_Mama
Summary: Railroads are supposed to transport people and goods to their allotted destination but sometimes the passengers are stubborn and don't want to go anywhere. Then the conductor has to kick their ass in gear. It can be messy and even violent or maybe they have a laugh and get drinks when the journey ends.The Survivor meets the Paladin who needs a love and tenderness after running from those he thought he was a part of.





	1. Chapter 1

 

 

Listening Station Bravo was a place that The Professor normally never went to. She had walked past it a couple of times to get to Settlements and dead drops, but she steered clear of it.

"So, we got a damsel in distress?" Nick asked as they stepped onto the vertibird pad to take aim at the laser turrets and the Protectron that was patrolling the entrance.

"Yeah, a synth that's been found out by the Brotherhood. Since he was a Brotherhood Paladin it must have shaken them a bit." Nora aimed her sniper rifle and a fired quartet of shots that at the turret while Nick took care of the bot.

"You think they'll come after him?" Nick shook his head. "Of course they will."

Nora straightened and grinned at him. "And that's why, my fedorad friend, is why we are going to save him."

            Nora jumped to the ground, her T-51e armor making the landing easier. Nick took the long way with the stairs and they walked into the post. The elevator was locked, and Nick took longer than normal in hacking it. Nora exited the power armor, her armored Vault-tec suit slightly crumpled. She would not go into this situation looking like a threat, the power armor was powerful and necessary in traveling the Commonwealth but it was terrifying in close quarters.

            She placed a hand on Nick’s shoulder when he was finished. “I’ll head in alone, less intimidating that way and if you need to, please, use the armor, I don’t want to see you hurt.”

“Smart on both ends. Hopefully, we won’t need it.”

            She pressed the button to the elevator and stepped in when the chime rang and it opened for her. The trip down gave her enough time to slow her breathing, steady herself and placing her sniper rifle and pistol up against the wall of the elevator. God, she hoped that she wouldn’t need either of them. The elevator opened to the sight of a destroyed Protectron laying on the floor, Across the room was a large window that showed another room and there stood the synth, his back to her. To the right was a large hole in the concrete wall that led to a cave which probably led to the other room.

            She made her way slowly to the center of the room, but the synth didn’t turn to her. He was working on a set of older power armor and was not paying attention to his surroundings. The cave that linked the two rooms was small and lit and she stood at the entrance for a few seconds to study the room more.

“Hello?” she voice was polite but inquiring.

            The synth stood up quickly, a wrench in one hand ready to strike an enemy. The man wore an orange jumpsuit and a grey skull cap hood over his head just showing her his slightly grizzled façade. He looked bone tired, the dark circles under his eyes making him look more like a beaten down slave than a toughened soldier.

"Whoa there, big fella," Nora held up her hands in a show of peace. "I’m not here to hurt you."

"Name your business." the synth didn't lower his wrench. 

"Here to help you." 

Paladin looked at her incredulously. "How?"

"The Railroad helps all synths," she answered. "No matter what they were before."

"I don’t need your help. Synths are an abomination-"

"I don't think you're an abomination and I've just met you." Nora cut in. "I'm Nora and who you are?"

"My designation is M7-"

"I asked who you are." Nora shook her head and took a step forward. "A number designation doesn't make you who you are."

            A hint of turmoil registered on his face and Nora hoped that it was enough of a crack in his facade to reach him. The real him, whoever he thought he was. He lowered his wrench, hanging it loose in his grip. 

"My name is Danse, I am-was a Paladin in the Brotherhood of Steel." 

"What changed?" 

"A recon team was able to retrieve data that gave them details about escaped synths and my DNA was in the data they received." he sighed. "I panicked and ran. I'm a coward who deserves to die."

Nora snorted. "No, you showed natural human instincts. That doesn't make you a coward. Have you murdered just for the high that it gives you? Pillaged? Raped innocents?"

Danse was taken aback. "What? No, I'm not a monster!"

Nora pressed on. "Exactly, you're not a monster so you obviously don't deserve to die."

            She could see that he was fighting her words. He was fighting the reality of his life now with that of the life that he had. He dropped the wrench to the ground and collapsed into a rusty chair. She took a tentative step forward, keeping her hands where he could see them if he needed to. He cradled his head in his hands, his fingers digging into his cap. 

"I thought that I knew what my place was," he said sadly. "I fought for the Brotherhood. Lived for them and I betrayed them."

"So, your place has changed. It's not the end of the world and you didn't betray them."

His head snapped up and he glared at her. "What do you know about betrayal? What do you know about what I feel?

            Nora didn't let his anger get to her. He was in a lot of pain and she empathized with him. She took another step towards him, slow and soft so that he wasn't disturbed. She waited while he worked through the self-hatred that he was feeling. There was no way he would work through it in one sitting. It would take weeks, months, even years for him to accept what he was. All she needed to do was to be here if he needed her for this one moment.

            She took another step towards him she was within arm’s reach of him, but she would go no farther. What felt like an hour Danse noticed that she was still standing in front of him, closer than he had left her. She was looking down and him, head slightly tilted to the left.

"Leave me alone," he said morosely.

Nora let out a breath and nodded. "Alright, but if you do need me there is a settlement just north-west of here and they can get a hold of me if you need me."

            Nora made sure to stay facing him as she backed out of the room into the cavern that separated it from the larger room and the elevator. She activated a Stealth Boy and left as silently as she could. She slumped against the elevator wall as she rode the box up to the surface. Nick was turned away from her in a chair leaning back until he was balanced on the back two legs. She crept up behind him and swiped his hat from his head. He got up from his seat and took it back.

"No luck?" 

"I planted a seed." Nora came around tossed his hat back onto his head. "Now, we'll see if he's fertile ground."

“Deacon won’t be happy,” Nick replied.

“Oh no.” Nora deadpanned, jumped into her Power Armor and followed the older synth out into the daylight.

            No one followed them to the rendezvous point where Deacon was sitting, reading a copy of Piper’s newspaper. He looked up and folded the paper under his arm like a businessman about to go on his way. His aviator sunglasses glinted in the sun, hiding whatever emotions his eyes might give away.

"Where's your package?"

Deacon peaked around Nora's Power Armor.

"Hiding. Processing."

 He frowned. "This is abnormal for you."

"He is an abnormal synth. He's been who he was for so long that he will need a lot of time to process what he really is.”

Even through the modulator on the Power Armor, they could hear her annoyance at Deacon’s digging. Nick stepped closer to his friend.

“Have you met the Brotherhood of Steel? They are taught to hate all technology that they can’t control. Hell, they even like people not in the Brotherhood that much. She did her best and she’s good at what she does.”

Deacon raised his hands up in surrender. “Easy there I-”

“It’s fine,” Nora cut in. “I directed him to Greentop Nursery when he needs me-us.”

Deacon nodded. “I’ll have an agent there just in case. Good job, agent.”

“Fuck you, Deacon.”

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Nora woke up to Dogmeat picking up her left arm gently and putting her Pip-Boy up to her face over and over and whining,

“All Minutemen respond. Greentop Nursery needs immediate assistance.” The Minuteman announcer said through her Pip-Boy.

Nora jumped out of her makeshift bed and hopped into her Power Armor. The rain was pelting down onto the armor and she pushed the Armor to a run with Dogmeat keeping up next to her. It wasn’t far to Greentop Nursery, she would get there before any patrols and while she had tightened the Nursery’s defenses she wanted to make sure that they were unharmed and to make repairs if necessary.

She came over the rise of the Nursery to see an older model Power Armor merc fighting against a group of Gunners who had taken out a turret to the east of the settlement but the other that she had installed on the top of the house was still working. Dogmeat moved off to flank a Gunner for Nora to take care of. She came with her minigun spinning up to fire at whoever was in front of her.  The settlers backed off to cover as she charged forward with the rapid tats of the minigun announcing her.

The Power Armored merc kept to her right, picking off the Gunners who were trying to hide behind the trees next to the house. The whistling of a missile and an explosion in front of her blew dirt and plants onto her but she held her ground as she mowed the Gunners hiding behind the metal railing of the decaying Old World road next to the settlement.

“Enemies Neutralized!” the merc called out as the last of the answering weapons fire died away.

Nora decompressed the trigger on her minigun and pointed the barrels towards the ground. She turned to the merc and took a couple of steps toward them.

“Thanks for coming to the settlers aid,” she replied.

“I was already here.”

“You still have my thanks,” she said. “What’s your name?”

“Danse.”

Nora chuckled and she dropped the minigun to take off her helmet. She smiled as she revealed her face. “It’s good to see you again, Danse. I’m glad you’re here.”

Dogmeat gave out a happy bark and came towards the synth. Danse watched as the dog circled him once and then sat right in front of him and gave out another bark. Danse took off his helmet and looked down at the dog.

“Dogmeat is glad to see you too.”

Danse gave her a curious look. “Dogmeat? You named him Dogmeat?”

“That was his name already and he likes you.”

Dogmeat barked again as if he was agreeing with her and got up on his hind legs, begging for some sort of affection from the synth. Danse bent over and gave the dog a pat on the head. Dogmeat spun about happily and ran off to the settlers for whatever affection they could give him…or food.

“How long have you been here?” she asked coming towards her new charge.

“Not long. Just a few hours. The settlement thought is best for me to rest here for the night but me being here for so long might have caused some attention to be aroused.”

“Then it’s best we be off. Let me repair a turret and check on the settlers and we’ll leave.”

“No, need of that ma’am.” A settler came up to her right. “John can fix the turret and we’re all okay.”

Nora nodded and looked back over to Danse. “Alright then, lets head out. We’ll be on the move for a couple of hours then stop for food and sleep at a camp. Ready?”

Danse nodded solemnly and she gave him a reassuring smile. “As I’ll ever be.” He turned to the settlers. “Thank you for letting me-.”

“We should be thanking you, young man, for helping out when we needed it. We’ll see each other again, especially if you’re with the Minutemen like this young lady here.”

 One of the settlers motioned to Nora who was slinging her minigun onto her Power Armor. Danse her a questioning look and she could just shrug like being a Railroad agent and a Minuteman was no big deal.

“You still have my thanks,” he replied. 

Nora waved to the west. “Let’s go.”

 

They made it to her camp from before the attack and Nora gestured for him to follow her inside the building. Her camp was untouched and Danse came in behind her. She gestured for him to come near the lantern and she got out of the Power Armor. There was a gasp from Danse who turned away from her.

“What?” she asked then looked down and saw that she was just wearing her underwear.

She had hidden the Power armor in the building but had been caught in a sudden downpour while getting to this camp. She had undressed to let her clothes dry and had not dressed in her haste to get the Nursery in time. Her body heated in a blush and quickly grabbed for her pack with more dry clothes. There was only a pink dress and she quickly put it on.

“I’m decent, you can turn around.”

Slowly Danse turned around to face her. Relief showed on his face at her clothed and she gestured to his power armor.

“You can get out of the armor. Dogmeat will alert us to any trouble.”

Dogmeat barked and padded over to the only doorway to the building. He circled and laid down, his head towards the doorway. Danse looked around nervously and moved over to a corner where he exited the Power Armor. Nora pulled a couple of chairs from the shadows and placed them close to the lantern. She took a seat and watched him make his way over to her.

 She gestured to the chair. “Sit, talk to me.”

Danse sighed and took the offered chair. “What needs to be said? I was alerted by a friend inside the Brotherhood that they were getting close to finding where I was. I had to leave or let them kill you.”

 “That’s a good friend. I’m glad you have that friend.” she slid her pack closer. “Are you hungry? Thirsty?”

“I’m a little thirsty,” Danse confessed after a few seconds of silence.

Nora pulled out an unopened carton of purified water and handed it to him. “Normally I would take you straight to the Railroad if you were freshly escaped from the Institute but you’re not like my regular passengers.”

Danse’s brow furrowed. “So, this is for nothing? What am I going to do now?”

Nora frowned and shook her head. “No, don’t be dramatic. Normally if the synth is coming straight from the Institute they are wiped of their memories of their time in the Institute and given new memories. You’ve had that happen already, doing that again might cause unknown side effects.”

“Like what exactly?”

“I don’t’ know, that is why I said unknown.” Nora tilted head a couple of times as she thought. “The memories you have now could interact with any new implanted memories adversely which might cause instability like insanity or delusions of your past life. You might become a vegetable, I’ve seen that happen. “

Danse finished off the water and set the can down next to him. “Is there another option?”

“You could keep your memories. Use your memories and skills you learned to help people and stay out of the Brotherhood’s way."

“Like joining the Railroad?” Danse shook his head. “I would find it difficult to fight next to something I was trained to hate.”

Nora jabbed her finger in the air at him.“You are the thing you were trained to hate. You of all people should know better to think that all synths are evil. If I dealt with only in absolutes I would think all men in military uniforms were the cause of all our problems and that they all needed to die. Or everyone out in the Commonwealth is just out to kill you. I know that’s not true and so should you. You are what the Railroad wants most. For Synths to live peacefully next to Man and work peacefully together. Gen 3 Synths are becoming self-aware, like children learning to make their way in the world?”

“That seems a little farfetched.”

“Do you think you don’t deserve love? Or do you think you should be hated just for being?” Nora narrowed her eyes and leaned forward. “I’ve seen enough in my short time in Commonwealth to know that people are who they make themselves to be regardless of where they came from or what they are. You have the same opportunity as those people. You just need the courage to do so.”

She leaned back and shrugged. “Hell, if you don’t want to be in the Railroad you can just move to a settlement and live peacefully or join the Minutemen.”

Danse stared down at his booted feet and Nora let him think. She pulled out another can of water, opened it and took a long drink. Her baser mind didn’t want the Synth to leave. It was hard for her to believe that he wasn’t human. He was so different from the synths she helped before. He was more complete and she somehow wished for some sort of newer companionship than Deacon or Nick or Piper or Preston.

She missed Nate. She dreamt of him and she would wake up yearning for him. 

Her brow furrowed when she realized that she was becoming attracted to...Danse. It had been so long since she had felt anything like that. Months had passed since her waking and she had been too distracted to let her mind reel through her own urges. He didn't notice her as she got up and headed over to her pack and toss out a spare bedroll. She slipped into her own bedroll and tried to calm herself into a hopefully less than fitful slumber. 

 


End file.
